The Grenada gazette., 1887-11-05
AUNT HANNAH"
The One Occasion When She
"Didn't Mind"

Every one is the better for having ;
defined position, and l sometimes
fancy mine must be the good Great
ure' Of the family.
1t is a large and scattered family,
and gives ample scope for every kind
of usefulness. Time was when l was
the spoilt child Of ii; but years have
hurried on, and the bright promise
was early nipped in the bud by the
death of my dear parents, priyile ged
to pass away within twenty -four hours
of each other.
AS | left the church-yard where the
sun shone softly down upon their un-
divided grave, and strove to realize
that henceforward those true and ten
der hearts were sharers in the glorious
sunshine of Eternal Day, l looked into
the cold, hard face of my eldest
brother and knew that the DAYS of
sympathetic love in my old home were
over and done with for me. Robert
was not unkind or unjust, but SYM
pathy was quality utterly wanting 9 in
his composition, and if he were Just
and fair toward others, what on earth
could others want more, in Heavens
name' he would ask impatiently.
Ali, well, justice is much; but love
and sympathy, what are they not
worth in all our lives, from the highest
lady in the land, whose sympathy
never fails in time of need, down to
the little school-child, who will spare
few precious crumbs of cake for the
hungry robin in its path?
My other brothers and sisters were
all married and scattered over the
world, and Roberts eldest children
were but u few years younger than
myself, the youngest of their fathers
generation.
For some years lived on in the dear
old home and strove to be of what Use
! could. No one scrupled TO make use
OF me, ! am bound to say, and by de.
grees the family motto seemed to be,
Aunt Hannah will do it. She won't
mind"
Did she mind7 Sometimes think
she did.
Inc young ones were growing up,
and to them my few additional years
constituted, if not old age, at least ad.
vanced middle age, Little did they
think, while their nimble feet whirled
TO Aunt Hanhah's playing q could
play, and for many reasons thre W nv
heart into doing my best for their
lance music)-littlc did they think,
say, how my own shoes were twitch.
ing under the piano with longing to
be given a chance Of turn myself.
One night overheard slim young
murmur to my niece:
But l say, won't your aunt be
lred, playing so long?'
"IiredP Oh, no, she won't mind. z"
responded Elith. "She likes it."
bent my head over the piano and
yulped down the choke that almost
'.verpowered me as l steadily marked
lime in that valse tune of many
Up before the eyes of nv
memory rose that evening seven years
before, upon which my future life had
seemed to hinge. l was twenty then,
and had been for two years an inmate
'fmy brothers home. was twenty
'cven now, and was still considered
90 young to have a home of my own
oy my elder relations, too old for
Young lady amusements by the youn O.
'r generation.
10 steadily played on, and nv
thoughts iloated away backward to
'hat evening have hinted at. Isaw
'nce more n small, dark.haired girl,
win hazel eyes and a far.away look
n them, and over her bent a broad.
'houldred, curly-headed young giant,
whose voice trembled as he said:
Tod bless you, darling little Hannah;
VIII come tomorrow and see Ro bert
md you."
But oh. Mike. Mike, why did YOU
'ever come--never, never, and the
'ext thing that / heard was that YOU
'ad gono to India the following week,
md the year attsr that rou wers mar